I like this blog to be fair and balanced, and I’ve been dissing Canada — well, specifically Ontario — for its pitbull ban. AJ, who guest-authored the post, pointed out in the comments that Winnipeg has a ban on bully breeds too. So I’d like to prove that Winnipeg has powerful animal defenders, some with…
Another reason to brush your dog’s teeth
This blog may be a guilt-free zone, but I also try to be honest here. In the interests of providing a cautionary tale… let the self-flagellation begin. In honor of National Pet Dental Health Month, I recently blogged about how essential it was to get your dog’s teeth checked professionally, especially small dogs who are…
Et Tu, Canada? Ontario’s Province-Wide Breed Ban
I recently blogged about Breed Specific Legislation — I prefer the term Breed Discriminatory Laws as more accurate — in the U.S.: Let’s Call Breed Bans What They Are: Death Sentences. Several people wrote to inform me that Canada had similar laws, so I looked into it. Jeez. I tend to think of Canada as…
Hotel Pet Policies: Clueless in SoCal
Last week a longtime hotel GM provided first-hand testimony that dogs and their people make excellent guests. A few weeks before, I discussed — and got terrific feedback on — 9 Things that Make a Hotel Genuinely Pet Friendly. Today I want to give an example of a place where Frankie and I stayed that…
Pet Adoption Videos That Don’t Make Me Want To Kill Myself, #6
Brought to you by the Shelter Pet Project, which has an amazingly creative site, featuring the dog in this video as spokesdog. This may be the funniest one in the adoption series — as opposed to the spay/neuter series — so far, though the practice it depicts is awful and all too common. What do…
Selling Live Animals Online? Tell eBay No Way!
Several people have been blogging about how eBay has weaseled out of its promise not to sell puppies and kittens and other live animals online by shutting down its auctions but letting the abhorrent practice in through the back door of its classified ads. Here’s a sampling of the posts: Felissa Hadas at Two Little…
Veterinary vs Anesthesia-Free Teeth Cleaning
In honor of Pet Dental Health Month, here’s an article I wrote for Your Dog, the newsletter of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University (published September 2009) *** Maybe you’ve seen a sign for “Teeth cleaning without anesthesia” in your groomer’s shop or on a pet store bulletin board, and you’ve wondered:…
Dogs Make Great Guests, Says a Former Hotel GM
It’s always dangerous to comment on my blog (though not in a creepy or bodily injury kind of way). Say something that piques my interest — especially if it’s funny — and I’m likely to ask you to guest blog about it. That’s precisely what happened to Juliette Morgan, who wrote, “I’m an ex hospitality…
Spay & Neuter with a Smile, #2
As promised: a new series of humorous public service ads (PSAs) promoting spaying and neutering. I would have thought the message (if not the precise way it was conveyed) would have had unqualified reader support — but I was wrong. Last week’s initial entry drew a bit of fire from people who said owners should…
Pet Adoption Videos that Don’t Make Me Want to Kill Myself, #5
I’m taking advantage of having another another funny video to share to comment on a few (mostly) unrelated things. As they say in New York, “So sue me.” Magical Mystery Mutt Tour First, thank all of you who took part in the Magical Mystery Mutt Tour, whether by contributing a post or commenting on posts.…